INDONESIA A NEWS

INDONESIA'S independent anti-corruption watchdog will not launch a probe into allegations in US diplomatic cables that the country's president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, was implicated in corruption. The stance of the Corruption Eradication Commission was backed by the country's leading anti-graft non-government organisation, Indonesia Corruption Watch. The developments came as protesters held a demonstration at the US embassy, tearing up copies of The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald demanding an apology. Another group called the Association of Advocates for People launched a legal action in a Central Jakarta court against the US government and both papers. They are seeking damages of $US1 billion. The cables, revealed in The Age after being obtained from WikiLeaks, detailed allegations that Dr Yudhoyono had spied on political rivals, quashed a corruption probe and received money from businessman Tomy Winata via a middleman. The President has denied the allegations a...

THE Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has sent officials to Singapore to bring for questioning a suspected go between in a high-profile bribery case that has implicated dozens of former and current legislators.   Commission chairman Busyro Muqoddas said that in the past month the antigraft body had been searching for Nunun Nurbaeti, who is accused of distributing traveller's checks to several legislators in return for their support for Miranda S. Goeltom during the 2004 election of a Bank Indonesia deputy governor.   'The search is still underway. We have approached her family to inform us on her whereabouts, ' Mr Busyro was quoted as saying by Antara after delivering a lecture at the Bandung Institute of Technology on Wednesday.   Nunun is believed to be a key witness who can reveal the names of bribe payers in the Bank Indonesia bribery case, which politicians said was politically charged. Nunun, a socialite and friend of Miranda, is the wife of former national...

As several revolts shook recently big part of Arab world, as Hosni Mubarak stepped down and the leaders of Bahrain and Libya could not think about anything better than to order bloody crack down against their own people, the world (read Western governments, media and academia) were watching with increasing doze of discomfort. Protests seem to be engulfing almost all countries in the region from Morocco and Tunis to Jordan, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.   Staunch ally of the West - Saudis - feel suddenly 'vulnerable' , even 'encircled'. No wonder - millions of the poor from all over the region are now marching and fighting for social justice or for justice in general. And there is hardly a place in the world with more striking inequalities than in this kingdom based on Wahabi conservative Islam, historically close ally of British imperialism. As is well known, Saudi Arabia is bathing in oil - that dark liquid which is both blessing and curse - enriching elites while helping ...